Edwaeds



(No Model.)

' 2Sheets-Sheet I.. A. EDWARDS & T. GRIFFIN.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR No. 414,801. Patented NOV. 12, 1889.

2sMMM-2 %W,

(No Mbde1.) Z'Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. EDWARDS & T. GRIFFIN. ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

N0.'414',801. Patented N v;1Z, 1889.'

EEMMMY M W UNITED STATES I PATENT ()FFICE.

ARCHER EDIVARDS AND THOMAS GRIFFIN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ADJUSTABLE CHAl R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,801, dated November12, 1889.

' Application filed February 12, 1889. Serial No, 299,678. (No model.)

To all whom, it may-concern:

Be it known that we,AROHER EDWARDS and THOMAS GRIFFIN, manufacturers,sub jects of the Queen of Great Britain, both of Charles Street, CurtainRoad, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Adjustable Chairs; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which -form part ofthis specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in chairs in which the severalparts can .be folded together when not in use; and the said inventionconsists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter setforth and claimed.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the entire chair,with its backnearly vertical. Fig. 2 is a similar section with the back inclinedbackward. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the chair folded together.Fig. 4 is a front View of the chair as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is adetailed View of the plate 1-. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the joint atthe top of the legs of the chair; and Fig. 7 is a detailed Viewornamental as desired.

of the side plates f, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through the several views.

The two side frames of the chair consist each of two legs a a and b b,pivoted at their upper ends to the joint plate 0, (shown separate on alarger scale in Fig. 6,) the pivots being side by side, so that when thechair is folded up, as shown in Fig. 3, the legs occupy little width.The two side frames are arranged parallel to each other at a distanceapart equal to the width of the seat, as shown in Fig. 4, and they arestayed together by stays d d. At a convenient distance below the pivots,at c, is arranged the seat e, consisting of a frame filled in with caneor other suitable material; or it may be solid. To each side of the seatis attached a plate of Wood or metal ff, which may be made as The loweredge of these plates at their center and front is curved, as shownseparately in Fig. 7, and rests upon a transverse rod g, (preferably ametal tube,) the ends of which are fixed in the proper position in thefront legs a Z) Instead of resting directly upon the rod g, the plate fmay rest upon a block pivoted upon the rod, as shown at w in Fig. 7. Theplates ff are also provided near their back ends with a slot h, Fig. 7,horizontal or nearly so, extending nearly to the back of the seat 6, andthese slots fit upon a second transverse rod or metal tube '11, the endsof which are fixed in the proper position in the back legs tab. In

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7 the slots h are shown formed by a plate or strapscrewed to the plates ff. The seat 6 can therefore be moved backward andforward upon the rods or tubes g i, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, withoutaltering its horizontal position more than is desirable. To the backofthe seat 6 are pivoted at 71", the lower ends of the side frames Z Zof the back of the chair, which are connected together by asufficientnumberof transverse stays or rails and a back of cane or other suitablematerial in the usual way. Side rails or arms m m are also provided,pivoted at or near their center to the pivot upon which the upper end ofthe legs a Z) turn, and at their back ends, at n n, to the side frames ZZ of the back of the chair.

By the method of construction and arrangement described if the lowerends of the legs of the side frames to a and Z). Z) be brought together,as shown in Fig. 3, the back ends of the arms on m turn down upon theirfront pivots at 0, taking with them the back of the chair until thelatter is parallel with and close to the legs, Fig. 3. The seat ealsoturns upon the pivots at the lower end of the back, and the chair isthen folded up, as shown in Fig. 3, and is portable and occupies littleroom. By turning the seat 6 down and separating the lower ends of thelegs the chair is brought back into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 3, and the person using it can adjust the position of the back andseat as he may desire by simply leaning forward or backward.

In order to insure the proper movement of all the parts of the chairwhen the latter is opened or closed, we use a curved slotted guide 0, ofwood or metal, as shown in Fig. 4..

turn, and the curved slot fits round the other bar or tube g. The lengthof the slot is such that it prevents the legs from opening too wide, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The front end of the slotted guide 0 is connected to the front of theseat e in the manner hereinafter described, and the shape of the slot issuch that when the seat is turned up againstthe back for the purpose offold ing, as shown in Fig. 3, the front legs a l) are also foldedagainst the back ones, as shown, by the action of the curved slotagainst the transverse bar or tube g. The front end of the slotted guide0 is connected by a bolt or stud p to a slotted spring '2'. (Shownseparately in Fig. 5.) The bolt 1) passes through the slot, a washer ofleather or other soft material being placed round the bolt upon eachside of the spring 1', so that the bolt may move smoothly in the slot.The front end of the spring 0' is fixed to the front of the seat at s,and its back end to a transverse rail t, carried by the seat. A springit connects the rail 15 to the transverse bar or tube 1', so as toassist in bringing the back of the chair up when the sitter leansforward, and also to insure the legs closing together properly. Theupper side of the slot 71. maybe lined with leather in order to cause acertain amount of friction upon the bar or tube t' as the seat of thechair moves backward and forward.

The upper ends of the legs ad and b b are pivoted by means of a plate,(shown upon a larger scale in Fig. 6,) the plate being fitted into slotscut in the upper ends of the legs, as shown in Fig. 4, and the platebeing retained in place by the pivot passing through it and by aprojecting point '17, which is driven into the bottom of the slots inthe legs a I), as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Yo are aware that prior to our invention chairs have been made withadjustable backs and capable of being folded up when not in use, and wedo not claim, broadly, such a combination; but

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a folding chair, the combination of legs pivoted together inpairs, with rods 9 1', connecting said legs transversely, a seatsupported by said rods but movable backward and forward over them, aback having pivotal connection to said seat and to supports attached tosaid legs, and the guide 0, which is pivoted to one of said rods andslotted to move freely on the other, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding chair, the combination of the legs and pivoted back,pivoted to sup ports attached to said legs, with a seat attached to saidback, the transverse rods g 11, which support said seat but allow it tomove freely forward and back over them, the guide 0, which is pivoted toone of said rods and slotted longitudinally to move freely over theother, and the spring 0', which is attached to said guide and also tosaid seat, substantially as set forth.

In combination with the folding legs of a chair and transverse rodsattached to said legs, a seat movable forward and back over said rods, aguide attached to one of said rods and slotted to move freely over theother, a back pivoted to said seat and to an attachment of said legs, aspring u, connecting said seat to one of said transverse rods, and aspring attached to said guide and also to said seat, substantially asset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis -lth day of January, 188.).

. ARCHER EDWARDS.

THOMAS GRIFFIN. \Vitnesses:

ARTHUR E. EDWARDS, T. G. RIDcwAv.

